Related content

And O'Kelly is likely to be at the very top of it after working successfully alongside O'Driscoll at AFC Bournemouth and Doncaster Rovers.

Currently number two to Dean Smith at League One Walsall, O'Kelly is under contract at the Banks's Stadium and City would have to pay compensation to the Saddlers if they wanted to bring him to Ashton Gate.

But he and O'Driscoll have a close relationship and the latter tried to take him to Crawley after becoming manager at the League One club last summer.

O'Kelly elected to stay with Walsall back then and O'Driscoll soon moved to Nottingham Forest, where he worked alongside number two David Kelly.

O'Kelly joined Bournemouth as O'Driscioll's assistant in 2004 and followed him to Doncaster two years later.

The pair guided the Yorkshire club to a dramatic 3-2 League One play-off final victory over Leeds United in 2008 and kept Rovers in the Championship against all expectations during the next two seasons.